The Functional Role of Critical Dynamics in Neural Systems

Description

This book offers a timely overview of theories and methods developed by an authoritative group of researchers to understand the link between criticality and brain functioning. Cortical information processing in particular and brain function in general rely heavily on the collective dynamics of neurons and networks distributed over many brain areas. A key concept for characterizing and understanding brain dynamics is the idea that networks operate near a critical state, which offers several potential benefits for computation and information processing. However, there is still a large gap between research on criticality and understanding brain function. For example, cortical networks are not homogeneous but highly structured, they are not in a state of spontaneous activation but strongly driven by changing external stimuli, and they process information with respect to behavioral goals. So far the questions relating to how critical dynamics may support computation in this complex setting, and whether they can outperform other information processing schemes remain open. Based on the workshop “Dynamical Network States, Criticality and Cortical Function", held in March 2017 at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Studies (HWK) in Delmenhorst, Germany, the book provides readers with extensive information on these topics, as well as tools and ideas to answer the above-mentioned questions. It is meant for physicists, computational and systems neuroscientists, and biologists. Front Matter ....Pages i-xx Avalanche Dynamics and Correlations in Neural Systems (Fabrizio Lombardi, Hans J. Herrmann, Lucilla de Arcangelis)....Pages 1-26 Playing at the Edge of Criticality: Expanded Whole-Brain Repertoire of Connectome-Harmonics (Selen Atasoy, Gustavo Deco, Morten L. Kringelbach)....Pages 27-45 Complexity of Network Connectivity Promotes Self-organized Criticality in Cortical Ensembles (Paolo Massobrio, Valentina Pasquale)....Pages 47-68 From Neurons to Networks: Critical Slowing Down Governs Information Processing Across Vigilance States (Christian Meisel)....Pages 69-80 The Challenge of Taming a Latching Network Near Criticality (Chol Jun Kang, Alessandro Treves)....Pages 81-94 Fading Memory, Plasticity, and Criticality in Recurrent Networks (Bruno Del Papa, Viola Priesemann, Jochen Triesch)....Pages 95-115 Homeostatic Structural Plasticity Can Build Critical Networks (Arjen van Ooyen, Markus Butz-Ostendorf)....Pages 117-137 Linear Stability of Spontaneously Active Local Cortical Circuits: Is There Criticality on Long Time Scales? (Nathan X. Kodama, Roberto F. Galán)....Pages 139-157 Optimal Fisher Decoding of Neural Activity Near Criticality (Eric S. Kuebler, Matias Calderini, Philippe Lambert, Jean-Philippe Thivierge)....Pages 159-177 Critical Behavior and Memory Function in a Model of Spiking Neurons with a Reservoir of Spatio-Temporal Patterns (Silvia Scarpetta)....Pages 179-197 Assessing Criticality in Experiments (Viola Priesemann, Anna Levina, Jens Wilting)....Pages 199-232 The Role of Criticality in Flexible Visual Information Processing (Nergis Tomen, Udo Ernst)....Pages 233-264 Statistical Models of Neural Activity, Criticality, and Zipf’s Law (Martino Sorbaro, J. Michael Herrmann, Matthias Hennig)....Pages 265-287